Nail and the like and method of making the same



Jan. 1, 1929. 1,697,810

G. J. COMSTOCK NAIL AND THE LIKE, AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Sept. 29, 1927 INVEN}? Z 4 Patented J an. 1 1929.

UNITED STATES GREGORY J. COMSTOCK, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

NAIL AND THE LIKE AND METHOD MAKING THE SAME.

Application filed September 29, 1927. Serial No. 222,753.

.My invention relates to an improvement in nails and other fastening devices, such as cotter pins, bolts, screws, staples, and the like, and more particularly to the treatment 5 or formation of such articles in a manner which will render them more difficult of removal from articles or other holding membors with which they may be associated in co-operative relation.

Heretofore, various means have been employed for rendering nails, for instance, less liable to become accidentally withdrawn, some of such means being by applying a coating of cement, varnish, lacquer or shel- 1 lac, for instance to the nails, so that they will have better frictional engagement with wood or other material into which they may be driven. These coatings tend to make the nails stick together when assembled in bulk and hamper. the use thereof in nailing machines, besides being often unpleasant to handle when being manually held and driven.

Spurs or indentations have also be made on the shank or body of the nail to cause them 2 to be more firmly held in operative position, but such practice tends to weaken the nails and also renders them less suitable for handling. D

Still another practice followed, in connection with upholsterers nails and railroad spikes, has been that -of splitting the nail somewhat at the point in such a manner that the split portions will spread when being driven, to thereby produce a clinching effect. While this'method results in the nail being held more firmly, it may prevent removal thereof under any circumstances, and will at least result in excessive tearing or destroying of the material, into which they ma be driven. This feature is praticularly o jec tionable in the case of upholsterers nails which must sometimes be removed in order to permit replacing of the upholstering material.

One object of my invention is to provide nails and other securing elements with surfaces or shanks of such form that they will resist separating movement to a marked degree, but wherem the nail or the like is not seriousl weakened, and wherein no coating materia is required.

Still another object of my invention is to simplify and improve generally the structure and form of holding devices, and the method of manufacturing the same.

in other wa s, as by acid'treatment, and that other abrasives than sand may be employed.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein I have indicated some of the ways in which my invention may be employed, Figure 1 represents a piece of wire or bar stock that has been sand-blasted previous tothe formation of nails therefrom; Fig. 2 is'a view showing a completed nail. whose entire shank portion is sand-blasted: Fig. 3 shows a nail having the major portion of its shank or body sand-blasted, but with its point smooth; Fig. 4 shows a bolt made according to my invention, and Fig. 5 represents a wood screw similarly treated.

The sand-blasting or acid treatment may be effected in the case of the wire of Fig. 1, as it enters a nail-making machine (not shown) in which case the entire nail will be roughened, as shown in Fig. 2 but it will be understood that the nails may be formed of an ordinary smooth wire or bar and thereafter roughened by sand-blasting, etc.

In the case of the nail of Fig. 3, the point of the nail may be left smooth, either for the purpose of permitting it to be more readily started to its driven position, or such smooth point may be merel incidental to the fact that the nails are he d at their points while being roughened. The heads could be similarly held, in which case the outer portion" of the nail might be smooth, but this would not be objectionable since the holding efiect of the nail is largely required at points a considerable distance away from the head of the nail.

Referring to Fig. 4:, I show a bolt whose threaded/ portion is sand-blasted. This roughening of the thread may extend through substantially the entire length thereof or may extend only from the outer end of the nut when in its normal position to the extremity of the bolt. The sandblasting has the efiect of preventing loosening of the nut by'r'eason of vibration. .A

lock nut could also be employed in conjuncno tion with the holding nut, in which case the sand-blasting wouldstill further contribute to prevent unscrewing of the nuts.

A wood screw treated according to my invention would have somewhat the appearance shown in Fig, 5.

The invention is capable of use in connection with various other "articles, includin cotter pins, which if roughened and driven into a snug-fitting hole would be more firmly retained in place.

The invention is also advantageous in connection with the formation of what are termed furring nails that carry a spacing element which embraces the shank of the nail and is used for spacing plaster and cement reinforcement from studding, in that the roughened nail will hold the spacing eleaway of the softer portions of the nail-shank,

leaving the harder-portions thereof remain in the nature of protuberances which engage the wood .fibers that are of, course he (1 tightly against the shank of the nail b reason of the compressibility of the wood: necessitating the tearing of the fibers upon withdrawal of the nail.

It has been found that roughening of nails, as above described, greatly increases their resistanceto withdrawal, as compared to the unprocessed or common nail, and that their resistance to removal is also much reater than in thecase of coated nails, reerred to above. In some cases, the nails will have a resistance to withdrawal which approaches the resistance offered by wood screws of approximately the same size.

In the appended claims, it will be understood that the term nail is used in a broad sense to include cotter pins, etc., as defined above, and that sand-blasting is also used in its broad sense to include various equivalent meansof roughening.

I claim as my invention 1. A nail having at least a portion of its shank sandblasted, whereby a portion of the nail is cut away by the sandblasting action to provide a roughened surface.

f 2. In the art of fastener making the step which comprises so sandblasting a surface upon a fastening means to be driven into another article as to roughen said surface.

3. The method of making nails or the like, which consists in sandblasting the stock from which the articles are to be formed, in,

order to produce a roughened frictionally resistant surface, and thereafter shaping the stock to the desired contour, while leaving the article in the aforementioned roughened condition.

In testimony whereof I, the said GREGORY JICQMsTOOK, have hereunto set m hand.

' GREGORY J. COM TOOK. 

